LEADING LIGHTSNew Zealand Educational Administration & Leadership Society NEWSLETTER Growing leadership potential ISSUE 1|2018
ISSN 2253-2390
LE ADING AKĀHUI AKO
ISSN 2253-2390
MEET THEKEYNOTE
SPEAKERS
COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIPCREATING A COMPELLING VISION FOR CHANGE Carolyn Marino
DAME HERBISON AWARD-WINNER
Melanie Taylor
ENHANCING LEARNER AGENCY:ENGAGING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY TO SUPPORT SCHOOL TRANSITIONSRachel McNae & Natalie Kirk
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CONTENTS LEADING LIGHTS | ISSUE 1 | 2018
THIS IS ANinteractive publication
EDITORIAL 3
DEVELOPING A BI-CULTURAL CLIMATE IN OUR SCHOOLS 4
THE PRESIDENT’S PEN 5
COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP 7
2018 NZEALS CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS 12
LEADING A KāHUI AKO/COMMUNITY OF LEARNING 15
ENHANCING LEARNER AGENCY 25
BOOK REVIEW: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND 27
NZEALS CONFERENCE 2018 30
LEADING LIGHTS SUBMISSION DEADLINES 31
DIRECTORY: NZEALS COUNCIL 32
JOIN NZEALS TODAY The New Zealand Educational Administration and LeadershipSociety (NZEALS) promotes and supports quality leadership forlearning across all educational sectors. To find out more go tonzeals.org.nz or to join simply click here. Complete your details and pay the subscription online, or download a form if you prefer to make direct debit or cheque payments.
DOWNLOAD & PRINT
In this issue of Leading Lights, you will get an excellent overview of NZEALS biennial
conference: Reconceptualising Leadership, to be held in Auckland 18-20 April, 2018.
This conference draws on our own experts in leadership covering three main themes
- Leadership for Inclusivity, Leadership for Collaboration, and Leadership for
Sustainability. Be sure to register.
We have two principal practitioner stories. Riki Teteina shares his journey of
building bicultural partnerships through strong reciprocal relationships. The
turning point for Riki was finding the Māori Achievement Collaboration. Carolyn
Marino shares her experience of driving change through collaboration and how to
get the emotional investment needed for change.
Rachel McNae and Natalie Kirk share insights into their research and the
potential of Appreciative Inquiry - look out for Rachel’s presentation at conference.
Juliette Hayes reviews the recently published book Educational Leadership in Aotearoa
New Zealand: Issues of context and social justice, edited by Rachel McNae, Michele
Morrison and Ross Notman.
Finally, the President’s Pen has words of wisdom and encouragement for you to
join NZEALS at the biennial conference on 18-20 April. This is going to be a fabulous
conference celebrating our researchers and practitioner experiences. I look forward
to meeting you there.
Ka kite, Annette
3Growing leadership potential
THE MA-ORI ACHIEVEMTENT
COLLABORATIVES (MACS) is a professional learning anddevelopment pathway byprincipals for principalsfocussed on changingeducation outcomes for Ma-oristudents. In all: ‘Leadershelping leaders to becomebetter leaders!’ The underlyingpremise of this learning anddevelopment programme isthat ‘schools wont changeunless the principal does’. To this end the focus of theprogramme is on ‘Changing thehearts and minds of principals’through a process of deeplearning, mentoring, coaching,critical conscienceisation andcollaboration. In this way thebelief is that change willbecome sustainable andenduring and will impact on allmembers of a schoolcommunity, staff, students,parents, wha-nau.
GETTING READY FOR APRILEDITORIAL Annette Sheehy
4Growing leadership potential
As we reflect on Waitangi Day 2018, it’s a good time to consider how far we’ve come as anation, and how far we still have to go in understanding what it means to be a bi-culturalsociety, honouring the intent of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. At Newton Central School, the firstschool in New Zealand to develop a co-governance structure which provides equalpartnership in governance of the school with both Ma-ori and non-Ma-ori representation, we continue to evolve and develop. Appointed to the role of principal a year ago, I havelearned that partnerships are about relationships. The strengthening of these relationshipsbetween Ma-ori and the school are the responsibility of the principal, and are critical inmaking any real impact on improving Ma-ori student achievement within a school.
It is a concern, however, that very few schools have chosen to pursue this approach,particularly when the evidence is abundantly clear that we are failing Ma-ori students in ourschools. The snowball effect of our collective failure to increase Ma-ori student achievementmeans that they are negatively represented in many tables that reflect repression, and overrepresented in unemployment, incarceration and homelessness to name a just a few. As principals, we can make a difference by doing all we can to provide opportunities tostrengthen wha-nau involvement in schools.
Engaging with local iwi and hapu, providing opportunities for students to learn about theirwhakapapa, and including opportunities for Kapa Haka and Te Reo Ma-ori within our schoolsare just the first steps in providing a bi-cultural climate. What really matters is the openingof the heart and the mind of the principal to gain an appreciation of the Ma-ori world view.
As the majority of our schools are led by non-Ma-ori, many of which have large populationsof Ma-ori students enrolled, this effort by the principal is critical. And yet, while many of uswant to make this effort, we don’t know where to start. This was certainly the case in mysituation and am thankful to have across the Ma-ori Achievement Collaborative. As outlinedin its purpose, ‘The Ma-ori Achievement Collaborative (MACS) is a professional learning anddevelopment pathway by principals for principals focused on changing education outcomesfor Ma-ori students’. Certainly, by joining this organisation, it has challenged my thinking andprovided me with the professional readings and resources to shift my thinking, and havemore understanding of how my decisions impact on Ma-ori achievement. In my role asprincipal, I am still learning how to strengthen relationships with wha-nau, and am thankfulfor the patience and support I receive as I make this transition.
I encourage all principals, if you really want to make a difference to Ma-ori achievement inyour school and are unsure how to make a start, make contact with your local MACS cluster.These clusters have many non-Ma-ori principals enrolled, and provide an excellentopportunity to share and support one another in our commitment to do everything possibleto lift Ma-ori achievement in our schools.
Developing a bi-cultural climate in our schoolsAs principals, how do we make a start?
DANIEL TETEINI holds a Masters Degree in
Education Administrationand has 26 years
experience in education, 14 of those in leadership
positions. Over the last 18 years Riki specialised in
International Education,leading schools in Indonesia
and Thailand. Riki returnedto New Zealand in
December 2016 so his family could enjoy a ‘Kiwi
education’, taking on the role of Principal of
Newton Central School.
I am on the countdown to our amazing NZEALS conference being held in Auckland
from 18-20 April. The programme captures what NZEALS stands for - inclusivity,
collaboration, and sustainability. When the Auckland Branch, of which I am a
member, started their planning, we realised that many world experts in the area of
reconceptualising leadership are home-grown.
New Zealand researchers, teachers and school leaders, across all sectors, are
globally sought after for their expertise. Our leadership practices are innovative and
often extend thinking beyond what is being developed and conceptualised overseas.
Visitors to New Zealand are keen to see and talk with educational leaders, to
examine what we do. Our reading programmes, numeracy problem-solving and
literacy learning are outstanding. Our continued broad curriculum aspirations
envied by many.
I know when Carolyn Marino returned from her ASB/APPA fellowship in 2017,
six months spent looking at flexible learning spaces and innovative practices,
she commented that some of the most amazing things were happening right here
in our country.
However, blowing our own trumpet across such a range of educational leadership
aspects does not stop us exploring the areas we need to improve: cultural
inclusivity, learning inclusivity, non-deficit thinking, differentiated practices, and
equitable outcomes for all. Although I look at PISA results as only one determinant
of educational quality, the results are fairly compelling that we have disparity across
learners of all ages and need to consider further our educational inequity.
The conference on the first day, I think, will excite attendees as we explore how
we can be better inclusive leaders and educators. We have three well-respected key
note speakers, and the breakouts will provide a balance of school practitioners and
researchers considering notions of social justice, and what is needed to ensure the
development of culturally responsive leaders.
The collaboration focus on day two is equally stimulating, and certainly a key
focus for my school. Collaboration has been talked about for years, but it has always
felt a little cursory. Schools are realising it is not just a team of people planning a
5Growing leadership potential
NZEALS CONFERENCE 18-20 APRILTHE PRESIDENT’S PEN Dr. Anne Malcolm
WHAT IS PISA?
The Programme forInternational StudentAssessment (PISA) is atriennial international surveywhich aims to evaluateeducation systemsworldwide by testing theskills and knowledge of 15-year-old students.In 2015 over half a millionstudents, representing 28 million 15-year-olds in 72 countries and economies,took the internationallyagreed two-hour test.Students were assessed inscience, mathematics,reading, collaborativeproblem solving andfinancial literacy.
unit of work. It is about everyone knowing the children; their data, their motivators,
their family, their needs. It is about staff valuing each other’s differences and
working to those strengths. It is about working as a team, at the same time
recognising personalised and group learning needs. It is about student agency and
student voice being implicit in the collaborative learning environment. It is an
enabler for true inquiry learning. It is enhanced when we incorporate flexible
learning spaces, and where staff are developed professionally to understand and
apply collaborative pedagogies.
The third day is centred around sustainability. Ross Notman will open with his
key note ‘Fire and Ice’, where he considers sustainable leadership success. Martin
Thrupp will consider how we best sustain high quality public education, and Peter
O’Connor will remind us of the beauty of leading. Over the three days of the
conference, the breakout sessions will hopefully help us reflect on our own practices
past, present and future.
The conference dinner is included in the conference pricing as we feel it is as
important to socialise and talk with colleagues as it is to listen to experts. My own
research has made it very clear that networking is perceived by school principals as
imperative in their learning process. The dinner speaker will be a representative of
Team New Zealand (winners of the America’s Cup and Halberg overall best sports
team), providing a close look at their team work and leadership.
In closing I have to say, if you have never attended an NZEALS conference, I can
assure you that attendees leave feeling revitalised, reenergised, and always take
away new ideas and thinking. They truly are the best conferences my staff and
I attend. The number of attendees is maximum 250 to ensure a boutique conference
experience. I look forward to meeting many NZEALS members and their colleagues
from around New Zealand in April.
1Growing leadership potential 6e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
Extend your NZEALS membership to your colleaguesInstitutional Membership is available to two or more members from the same institution for a subscription fee of $150 per year for the first member and $100 for each subsequent member.
Groups may be formed or added to with the permission of the ‘lead member’ - the onewho is charged $150. Current individual members may add further members at $100 peryear, and any current Institutional group may add to their number. All InstitutionalMembership subscriptions will fall due on the lead member’s subscription date.
For more information please contact Ann Briggs at [email protected]
It is about studentagency and studentvoice being implicitin the collaborative
learning environment.
In 2016 I was the fortunate recipient of the ASB/APPA Travelling Fellowship and
spent six months visiting schools around New Zealand and the world to better
understand what conditions enable our schools to function effectively in flexible
learning spaces. At the heart of this was a burning question: how do we support our
teachers to shift their mental models to be able to work effectively in innovative and
collaborative ways?
Whilst school leadership has a pivotal role to play in establishing the necessary
conditions to allow collaborative working relationships to flourish, nothing is truly
possible unless the hearts and minds of each staff member are truly engaged and
committed to challenge, growth and learning.
“If I am not convinced at a deep level about why change is necessary, then
I will not develop the willingness essential to support a new direction” (McGuire,
2003, p. 5).
As individuals, our readiness for change directly influences our individual
decisions to either resist or support a change effort (Choi & Ruona, 2011).
Researchers identify three things that increase a person's readiness for change:
• a belief that change is needed; and
• a belief that the proposed change is appropriate to the challenge at hand; and
• a belief that the organisation has the capacity to implement the change.
(Choi & Ruona, 2011).
Central to creating any lasting change, staff need opportunities to explore their
own beliefs or mental models regarding student-centred learning, collaborative
practice and a myriad of other practices that they perform on a daily basis.
7Growing leadership potential
COLLABORATION AND LEADERSHIP:Creating a compelling vision for change Carolyn Marino
THE ASB/APPA TRAVELLINGFELLOWSHIP made its first‘prestigious awards’ in 1966.Since then (with the oddexception) two awards havebeen made to principals inthe Auckland and/or TaiTokerau area each year.The awards are supportedfinancially by the ASB andleave on pay is granted bythe MOE as one of theprestigious awards. Oneaward is for threemonths/one term and givesthe recipient $20,000 forexpenses, the second is forsix months/two terms and$35,000 for expenses.
The espoused theories-of-action of the school in relation to shared visions, and the
principles underpinning this change process, are only as effective as the theories-
in-action when evidenced in daily teacher practice.
Involving teachers in collaboratively developing the ‘why’, and co-writing the
change story, can result in high levels of emotional investment in the change
process. To actively participate with some degree of comfort, people need to
understand how the change links to the organisation’s shared vision and values,
and what role their actions play in the outcomes associated with the change.
They need to be confident that the organisation has the capacity and capability to
successfully implement the proposed change, and they need to believe that their
participation and contributions are worthwhile and will make a difference.
Co-constructed statements outlining the ‘why’ - or purpose - must be alive in the
hearts and hands of everyone in the organisation. From this foundation, clear
guidelines, expectations and aligned practices help to ensure that everyone feels
they are on the same page. Thus, when difficult decisions need to be made, the
purpose, not the wants and needs of the loudest voices, offers direction.
“To sustain momentum through a period of difficult change, you have to find
ways to remind people of the orienting value - the positive vision - that makes the
current angst worthwhile” (Linsky & Heifetz, 2017).
CASE STUDY: WESTMERE SCHOOLWestmere School is a large inner-city primary school which undertook a major
revisioning process in 2012. The school had experienced rapid growth in a short
period of time and could see the value in providing an opportunity for the
community to revisit its vision for the school and its learners. The process involved
the board, staff, parents, and key community members. Senior students were also
invited to share their aspirations for their school. A broad set of inquiry probes
covering many aspects of school life were developed. Through a process of guided
facilitation, groups of 6-8 participants shared their ideas through two processes -
classic brainstorming and 10/4 voting. Using key communication protocols like
these ensured that all voices had equal airtime and any discussion was eliminated.
Once the top ideas from each group had been collated onto a master list, each
person voted for their top ideas.
These were then drafted through two to three iterations into a shared vision
statement, a three or four paragraph description that painted a picture of what the
school and learning would look like when the vision was realised. Over the next
year, staff formed project teams to research what each of the four key themes
identified in the vision statement might look like in practice in the school’s context.
At the conclusion of this research time, each team shared their recommendations
for action, which then formed the long-term strategic plan for the school. At this
time, it was felt that having the vision as a rather wordy descriptive paragraph
made it inaccessible to the community, and in particular to the learners and teachers.
1Growing leadership potential 8e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
CAROLYN MARINO is aleadership advisor withEvaluation Associates,working with beginning
principals in the Aucklandarea. Her background includes
research and over 25 yearsworking in senior leadership
roles and most recently, asprincipal for 15 years at
Westmere School, a largeprimary school in Central
Auckland. She is passionateabout maximising student
engagement and school-widecollaborative practices.
Carolyn is convinced thatlearners who know about theirown learning process and canarticulate their learning needs
are better prepared tomaximise learning. Her APPA
Fellowship in 2016 furtherconfirmed the need for
collaborative school-widepractices to support improved
levels of student agency.Carolyn’s work with Auckland
principals, around buildingpedagogies to best fit the
innovative learning spaces,and to support teachers shifttheir mindsets to working in
effective collaborativerelationships, is well
recognised and respected.
There was a real need to embed a shared language of
learning and shared belief that aligned with the aspirations of the
school’s vision. Using the descriptive vision statement, the pictorial
metaphor for the vision (to the right) was developed.
Bringing the vision alive in the day-to-day operation of the
school, required further unpacking of the ‘why’. How could these
underlying beliefs be realised? What would a visitor or new teacher
to the school see, hear, or witness as the vision in action?
With the rebuilding of the school as open flexible learning
environments in 2015, and the move to working collaboratively in large studios
with two to three teachers and 60-90 learners, the importance of one of the key
focus areas in the vision - Mahitahi: Working Together - took centre stage.
To support the transition, the shared understanding of what collaboration meant
to the team was further explored by staff, starting with Simon Sinek’s question,
“Do we know our why?”
Why would we work together? What are the purpose and beliefs we hold as a
team about the value of mahitahi? How can we work collaboratively within our
teaching teams to share responsibility for our studios of students? The table below
illustrates the initial thinking of the staff.
9Growing leadership potential
How can we workcollaboratively withinour teaching teams to share responsibilityfor our studios of students?Be an active participant
Be totally committedDo what you say you are going to doBe honestBe accountableBe presentBe solution-focused
Have a growth mindsetSeek and be open to receiving feedbackBe reflective, enquiring and curiousHold ideas lightlyAsk ‘So what?’ and take action
Take the time to get to know each otherHave each other’s backsBe mindful, give and takeShare the loadValue your own time and that of othersSelf manage
Be positive, solution focussedOperate above the lineHonestly and constructively deal with the issues (not the person)Focus on the ‘student agenda’ rather than ‘adult agendas’
Follow our shared and clear protocolsLive our vision and valuesSet clear expectations
PERSONALRESPONSIBILITY
OPEN TO LEARNING
MAINTAIN HAUORA
COMMUNICATION
SYSTEMS TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER
This then provided a lead in the further unpacking of the ‘what’. For example,
what protocols do we need to all be on the same page? Starting with their own
beliefs and values, teachers shared their preferences to develop a set of shared
agreements or protocols for working together, as in the example below. These
formed the touchstone for effective collaboration, as the school moved through
this major transition process. Each group leader signed the protocol and agreed
to review it each term:
YEAR GROUP LEADERS AGREEMENTTogether we have developed these shared protocols for how we will work
effectively:
• We agree to come from a positive place when working together. We bring
things to the table with a solution-based focus to come to a shared vision of
what we want.
• We agree to a five minute debrief at the beginning of the meeting, and park
issues that arise from that 5 minutes unless they can be sorted quickly.
• We agree to talk honestly and openly.
• We agree to take personal responsibility to be fully prepared and focussed for
and during meetings.
• We agree to rotate a team member to chair our meetings to ensure people have
a voice and meetings stay on track. The chairperson has the responsibility to
identify when an item needs to be parked to become an agenda item for the
next week, or whether we move on to another item.
• We agree to present a united front to our year group team. We will ensure that
what is discussed in this team is debated to gain clarity and purpose and a
shared language constructed/agreed upon before presenting it to our teams.
• We agree to put items on the agenda by Sunday 5.00pm.
• We agree to build in a once a term ‘team health check’ and provide each other
with pastoral care.
• We agree to adopt the following resolution strategies:
- Give each person time to talk without interruption;
- Listen for intent and check in with the other when you think what is heard
may not be what was intended;
- Deal with the immediate issue - don’t bank issues and let them fester;
- Professional not personal - put the issue on the table not the person.
1Growing leadership potential 10e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
JOIN NZEALSTODAY
The New Zealand EducationalAdministration and
Leadership Society (NZEALS)promotes and supports qualityleadership for learning acrossall educational sectors. To find
out more go to nzeals.org.nzor to join simply click here.
Complete your details and pay the subscription
online, or download a formif you prefer to make directdebit or cheque payments.
FINAL THOUGHTSThe implication for leaders driving such change is that where there is alignment
between a strong shared vision and values espoused by school leadership, and the
shared mindsets of the majority of people who work there, the work done is both
compelling and motivating. Likewise, when the practices (the systems and
structures) that are established to support and reinforce the shared mental models
are closely aligned, people ‘walk the talk’.
Focusing unrelentingly on the vision can lead to a creative tension that brings out
a capacity for perseverance and patience. If we are working alongside others going
through similar changes, the shared commitment and passion can be incredibly
energising. The current reality does not disappear, but when dealt with through a
future lens, the positive collaborative process has the power to shift our mindsets.
REFERENCESChoi, M. and Ruona, W.E.A. (2011). Individual readiness for organisational change and its implications for
human resource and organisation development. Human Resource Development Review, 10(1), 46-73.
Linsky, M. & Heifetz, R.A. (2017). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
McGuire, J.B. (2003). Leadership strategies for culture change: Developing change leadership as an organisational core capability. The Center for Creative Leadership - Friends of the Center Leadership Conference, Orlando, FL, October 8-10.
11Growing leadership potential
If we are workingalongside others goingthrough similarchanges, the sharedcommitment andpassion can beincredibly energising.
TAHU KUKUTAI (Ngāti Tīpa, Ngāti Kinohaku, Te Aupōuri) is professor of demography
at the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, University of
Waikato. Tahu specialises in Māori and indigenous demographic research and has
written extensively on issues of Māori population change, Māori identity and official
statistics. Tahu is a founding member of the Māori Data Sovereignty Network, Te
Mana Raraunga, and is vice president of the Population Association of New
Zealand. She was previously a journalist.
DR Melinda Webber is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at the
University of Auckland. She is a former Fulbright/Nga Pae o te Maramatanga
Indigenous Scholar who has published widely on the nature of ethnic identity
development, examining the ways race, ethnicity, culture and identity impact the
lives of young people, particularly Māori students. In 2016, Melinda was awarded
an esteemed Marsden Fast-Start grant to undertake a research project examining
the distinctive identity traits of Ngāpuhi, New Zealand’s largest iwi and in 2017,
Melinda was awarded a prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship to tackle
an important question facing educators; “How can we foster cultural pride and
academic aspiration among Māori students?”
DAMON SALESA is university director of Pacific strategy and engagement, and
associate professor of Pacific studies. He is a scholar of Pacific politics, history,
technology, culture and society. He is a prizewinning author of works on the Pacific,
race and government. His latest book, Island Time: New Zealand’s Pacific Futures,
was published in December 2017.
MANJULA WANIGANAYAKE is professor of early childhood at the Department of
Educational Studies Macquarie University, Sydney. Over three decades, Manjula
has been involved in the early childhood sector as a teacher, a parent, an advocate, a
policy analyst, a teacher educator, and a researcher. Her teaching and research
interests cover educational leadership and family diversity, as well as childhood
socialisation and quality assurance matters. She was awarded an honorary doctorate
from the University of Tampere, Finland, for her scholarly contributions to early
childhood leadership. Manjula has been working with colleagues from England,
Estonia, Finland, Malaysia, Norway, Singapore, and South Africa. She believes
in diversity and social justice, and values learning from others through respectful
collaborations.
1Growing leadership potential 12e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
2018 NZEALS CONFER
13Growing leadership potential
DR HOWARD YOUNGS is a senior lecturer in the Master of Educational Leadership
department at AUT. He has a leadership role in international development and
relations. This role and his engagement with the leadership studies field beyond
education enable him to bring other perspectives into his research, teaching,
supervision and professional learning/development workshops in education
settings. His current foci span collaborative inquiry, distributed leadership and the
emerging area of Leadership-as-Practice (L-A-P) within and across organisations.
Howard started his career as a secondary school educator, then moved into pre-
service teacher education, before focusing on postgraduate education in leadership.
He has been a member of NZEALS since 1995 and is on the editorial board for the
Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice (JELPP).
RACHEL MCNAE is director and associate professor of the Centre for Educational
Leadership Research at the University of Waikato. She is also the co-founder of
The Good Human Project - an organisation supporting young people to flourish in
educational settings. Rachel’s research agenda is founded on a firm belief for social
justice, and her numerous research projects span the fields of student voice and
agency, strength-based inquiry, youth leadership, leadership innovation and
curriculum generation. Rachel’s recently published books include; Realizing
Innovative Partnerships in Educational Research (Sense, 2017), Educational
Leadership for Social Justice in Aotearoa New Zealand (New Zealand Council for
Educational Research, 2017) and Harnessing the Joy in Leadership, (Rowman and
Littlefield, 2018).
ROSS NOTMAN is professor in education at the University of Otago, and director of
the Centre for Educational Leadership and Administration (CELA). He is the New
Zealand project director of an international research study, across 25 countries, into
the leadership practices of successful school principals, and the ISLDN study of
leadership in high-needs schools and centres. Ross presents at international
leadership conferences, and has edited significant publications about successful
leaders in New Zealand schools. In 2016, he was made a Fellow of the New Zealand
Educational Administration and Leadership Society for his contribution to
educational leadership development and research in this country.
ENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
PROFESSOR MARTIN THRUPP is head of Te Whiringa School of Educational
Leadership and Policy at the University of Waikato. His research interests span
leadership and policy, with a particular focus on the importance of school contexts.
A former secondary school teacher, he has undertaken detailed research in primary
and secondary schools in both New Zealand and England. Thrupp recently
published a wide-ranging book about New Zealand’s National Standards,
The Search for Better Educational Standards: A Cautionary Tale. He is currently
working on a comparative study of the privatisation of schooling in Finland,
Sweden and New Zealand. funded 2017-21 by the Academy of Finland.
PETER O’CONNOR Peter O’Connor is professor of education and head of the School
of Critical Studies in Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the
University of Auckland. An internationally acknowledged leader in creating
theatre in marginalised communities Peter’s most recent work includes developing
and leading a multi-arts project in schools severely impacted by earthquakes in
Mexico City. He currently heads an international research project exploring
creativity in schools.
1Growing leadership potential 14e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?At the end of the email you received with this issue of Leading Lights, you will find yourmembership details, including your postal address. This is the address we use for mailingyour copy of JELPP. With each JELPP mailing, we receive at least one member-subscription’s-worth of copies returned for re-mailing, because members have movedhouse and not told us. This last time, we asked for updates in advance of the mailing.Several members responded - but we still had copies returned. In one case, the buildinghad been demolished, and we didn’t know! As it happens, there were also other problemswith this last mailing, which compounded the difficulty.
Please take a moment to check your postal address on the Leading Lights email,and let me know if you have moved. That way the next JELPP mailing will reachits target without any hassle.
Many thanks, Ann Briggs, NZEALS National Secretary EMAIL: [email protected]
2018 NZEALS CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
An investigation into the professional learning available to support principals
who have been appointed as Kāhui Ako leaders.
PURPOSE The New Zealand education sector is embarking on a new era of collaboration.
While some principals have transitioned their schools to collaborative learning
environments, collaborating across multiple school sites is new to the sector.
The purpose of this small research project is to establish what effective leadership
practice in a Kāhui Ako (Community of Learning) might look like, and how
leaders of these across-site collaborative environments can be best supported,
specifically documenting professional learning that might be offered to leaders
of Kāhui Ako to assist with the development of skills and attributes required to
lead collaboratively.
BACKGROUND INFORMATIONThe New Zealand Ministry of Education (MOE) has strongly encouraged the
formation of Kāhui Ako. The key objective of Kāhui Ako has been identified by
the MOE as raising achievement for all students across the compulsory
educational pathway. This is achieved by sharing expertise and supporting each
other (MOE, 2016).
15Growing leadership potential
Leading a Kāhui Ako /COMMUNITY OF LEARNINGDAME HERBISON AWARD-WINNER Melanie Taylor
A COMMUNITY OF LEARNING/
KA-HUI AKO is a group of
education and trainingproviders (early learning,schools, kura, and post-secondary) working togetherto help students achieve theirfull potential. Each Communityof Learning/ Ka-hui Ako setsshared goals, or achievementchallenges based on theparticular needs of its childrenand young people.
Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson & Wahlstrom (2004) state that “effective
educational leadership makes a difference in improving learning”. Research also
suggests that high quality collaboration positively impacts teacher practice and
student achievement (Ronfeldt, Farmer, Mc Queen & Grissom, 2015). It is suggested
that school leaders need assistance in developing their collaborative leadership
practice. If effective leadership and effective collaboration both have a strong
influence on learning then it can be assumed that a Kāhui Ako leader’s role is a
critical success factor to Kāhui Ako meeting their achievement objectives.
A key aspect of the Kāhui Ako lead principal’s role is to collaboratively lead
member principals from primary and secondary schools (and also possibly iwi and
ECE contributors) to lift student achievement. As a result, school leaders find
themselves grappling with the complexities of collaboration across multiple school
environments.
METHODOLOGY
Research Questions
MAIN QUESTION: How should we provide support for new Kāhui Ako leaders to
improve collaborative leadership resulting in positive outcomes for students?
• What collaborative leadership experiences do Kāhui Ako leaders
bring to the role?
• What leadership support/training can they access to assist them in
leading their Kāhui Ako?
• Which aspects of the support are useful/not useful and why?
• What type of support could be offered to meet their needs?
Collection of Information
Information about support, training and mentoring was gathered from the MOE,
NZCER, ERO and the Education Council. This provided some base knowledge
about the support currently available for lead principals and what other
programmes or support was in development.
Following the collection of this information, participants were interviewed to
record their prior experiences of leading collaborative environments and what
support, mentoring or training, they are accessing.
Participants were asked to identify needs that they feel they had and comment
on the relevance of the support that they are receiving. They were also asked to
suggest other programme content or support that could help them in their roles.
Information Analysis
Data from interviews has been divided into three areas: current skills and
experiences, current provisions of professional learning and access to them,
participants’ perceived needs and recommendations for the future.
1Growing leadership potential 16e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
THE EDUCATION COUNCIL are the professional organisationfor teachers. They represent
all teachers from earlychildhood education through
to primary and secondaryschooling in English and Ma-ori
medium schools. Theypromote all that’s best about
teaching; good practice, newideas, inspirational leadership.
They will provide leadershipand help strengthen the
regulatory framework anddisciplinary regime for
teaching, and aim to boost thestatus of teaching,
strengthening accountabilityand bringing consistently high
standards across theeducation system.
Information was examined for trends and connections. There were a number of
common themes, including barriers to success. I have included them as a relevant
aspect of the leadership role.
FINDINGS
While the perspectives of leaders differed slightly, there were common themes
that are worth exploring.
Current skills and experience brought to the role
Leaders interviewed for this study all gave their time graciously and generously.
All were experienced principals leading Kāhui Ako ranging in size from 2,000 to
7,000 students. Only one of the principals interviewed had led a project across
schools prior to their appointment as Kāhui Ako lead. This meant that the
majority of the principals leading Kāhui Ako experienced the role for the first
time once appointed. All principals felt that they were involved with other
principals in a collegial way prior to their appointment, with all of them having
worked with most members of their group in some fashion, often as a cluster.
This meant that Principals had some prior relationship with the people in
the group.
The principal who had led a project before had been part of an Extending
Higher Standards Across Schools (EHSAS) project as leader so felt very
comfortable with his colleagues in the other decile 8 schools. He was already very
visible in the schools in the cluster and there was a good collaborative
relationship already formed.
Leadership Professional Learning - current provisions and access
All principals interviewed described some level of frustration with the lack of
support that they have had to prepare them for and during the role. Professional
learning that participants noted included the following:
● National days which included conference type workshops and keynotes.
The event was described by one leader as a ‘great big talk-fest’. The workshops
at these events were run by Kāhui Ako, selected to present as they were
considered successful by the Education Council and/or MOE. Leaders
described networking with other Kāhui Ako Leaders as the main benefit of
these sessions. Half of the leaders interviewed described these (and the
regional days) as interesting but the result of them being a lot more ideas and
things that were needed to be done due to new MOE initiatives.
● Regional days which provide networking and sharing of ideas. These sessions
also left leaders stressed at times as new initiatives and ideas were shared.
● Expert Partner discussions. Leaders expressed mixed emotions that the
Expert Partners skill bases were most suited to working with across schools
teachers. While using them with the teaching staff alleviated their workload
to an extent, they have not supported the leader in their development as a
17Growing leadership potential
All principalsintervieweddescribed some levelof frustration withthe lack of supportthat they have hadto prepare them forand during the role.
change manager or collaborative leader. Most leaders felt that Expert Partners
did not necessarily have the expertise or knowledge in the areas they needed to
know about.
● Education Council webinars.
● Self help - leaders generally spent significant amounts of time problem-solving
for themselves.
There was significant frustration voiced about the lack of planned professional
learning to support the leader specifically in their role. Specific areas that
principals would have liked support included the following:
Understanding the learning and leadership theory behind the model
Half of the lead principals felt that it would be useful to understand the research
behind the collaborative leadership model as this would give them a good
understanding of what they are trying to achieve, why it is important, and some
evidence -based data to support the theory.
Others felt that some understanding of collaboration would be useful.
For example, to expect storming as a phase before performance improves and
collaboration is effective.
Coaching collaborative leadership skills
Principals felt that leading their own school was quite different to leading across
many schools, with most stating that they felt totally unprepared for the role once
they were in it. Despite most of the leaders stating that there was good social
capital in the group before their Kāhui Ako was formed, moving from congenial
to collaborative relationships takes time. Even the leader who had a lot of
experience and good prior collaborative relationships felt that as tricky issues
1Growing leadership potential 18e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
19Growing leadership potential
arose, he was always working with one or two others in the team.
A coach or a mentor to work alongside leaders as they learn to work more
collaboratively would assist leaders as they form effective relationships within
their groups. The coach would be able to guide the leader through the complexity
of mediating relationship problems.
All principals felt that there was no formal support in the leadership sphere.
As a result, all principals felt that leadership learning, specifically targeting
leading across schools was an area that would be helpful to develop.
Systems development
Leaders believe that generally, systems are created as they are required, and that
there is very little preparation in advance for the tasks that they are required to
manage or lead. Some of these areas are considered significant with legal and
financial implications. For example, in finances, there have been some changes to
the system around budget time frames (accounting year versus school year).
Leaders were not informed of these changes and the implications are significant.
Another example is in the human resource component of the job. As leaders finish
their contracts, there appear to be no guidelines to support the process to
reappoint. Leaders feel that they are constantly chasing someone to find out how
they should approach simple management structures. This is time consuming,
and is the same for everyone, so a system solution would be useful.
Administration systems and support were also identified as an area needing
extra support. Leaders expressed frustration that they were completing simple
tasks that were time consuming. This included timetabling of meetings and
minute taking, completion of documentation, and budgeting. One principal
described his role as having two senior leadership roles in one, and felt he
needed a personal assistant to manage all the meetings as he has so many more
people to deal with.
Just-in-time learning
Lead principals described feeling tired of the catchphrase that they were ‘building
the plane while flying it’. While they agreed that they were, they felt that having
been in the role for three years it would be useful to have developed some of the
work already. Leaders felt that it would be helpful if the MOE supported them by
preempting the knowledge or skill that they would require before they needed it,
allowing them to tap into information as required. For example, knowing that a
number of Kāhui Ako were due to re-advertise for a new leader, it would be
useful to know what to expect and what was required to be done, rather than
having to work this out for themselves. This could easily be achieved by calling
all Kāhui Ako leaders in this timeframe to meet to discuss requirements and
expectations.
One of the observations made by leaders was that while there was more
support being developed, it was not differentiated and Kāhui Ako just starting
out, and those who were early adopters, were all getting the same information.
This was not useful. One leader summed it up by saying “our bucket is just not
being filled.”
Barriers to success
All Kāhui Ako leaders expressed frustration with the lack of development of
the system that their roles are entwined with. They include the lack of support
and professional learning for them but also many other areas. While this was not
originally part of my study, I have decided to include these frustrations in the
hope that some changes might be able to be made which will allow the leaders
to be more successful in their role in future.
1. Collective agreements
Every leader interviewed was frustrated with the rigidity of both of the
collective agreements (NZEI and PPTA), even describing it as a ‘millstone’.
They were clear in their understanding that the collective agreements clauses
were originally designed to cater for career pathways, however this was
impeding the progress of their targets. Leaders felt that most often the people
that would be most successful in roles working both within and across schools
were their senior leaders (deputy and assistant principals) who were
experienced in instructional leadership and expert curriculum leaders.
As senior leaders were excluded from the process (unless there was an in-
school work around), appointed classroom teachers were asked to deliver
across-school content without the expertise required. One leader described this
as like “having eight brand new deputy principals that you have to manage”.
Leaders felt that they were not getting the best people filling these positions
and the backfill teaching staff were weakening their school curriculum further.
The solutions offered included removing the requirement for the teaching
component, seconding to the role and/or allowing deputy principals to be in
the role. There was also some concern that across-school teachers were earning
more units than deputy principals with much less expertise and experience.
This was described as an urgent matter to find a solution to. Some leaders had
tried to apply for variations to the role of which none were successful.
The consequence of these challenges is that part of their leadership role is
now developing leaders to work effectively in their roles across schools.
This is a significant problem considering the 0.4 allocation of time that the
leaders receive.
2. Time
Kāhui Ako leaders describe the time allocation of 0.4 per week as not enough,
especially during the initial set-up phase. One pointed out that if an equity
model was to be established, it would be fairer as currently all Kāhui Akos get
the same allocation, regardless of size.
1Growing leadership potential 20e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
MELANIE TAYLOR is thefoundation principal of
Golden Sands School, whichis a purpose built Innovative
Learning Environmentopened in 2011. As an avid
traveller, she is interested ineducation systems in other
countries and has beenfortunate to learn from
schools in South Africa,Australia, England, Canada,
Japan, Samoa, andSingapore. She has taught
from nursery to Year 8 inschools in New Zealand and
England, and has specialinterests in the teaching ofmathematics and working
with gifted and talentedstudents. In her leadership
roles, she is interested inschool culture and the
development of personal and organisational
leadership capacity. In 2017 she was fortunate tobe awarded the NZEALS Fuji
Xerox Dame Herbison Awardto complete a researchproject focusing on the
support available for newKāhui Ako leaders.
Leaders approached the allocation differently, with some choosing to spend
it in their own school, using it as a base and coordinating from there. Others
chose to be out in all the schools in the Kāhui Ako on a regular basis. One
principal had delegated whole portfolios to other senior leaders (for example,
health and safety) and others had released their deputy principals to do the
principal’s job for two days per week.
All agreed that the job can not be pigeon-holed into two days per week
with all needing to spread tasks across the week where they are most relevant.
Most leaders spent at least 0.6 on the role, with one spending 0.8, despite being
beyond the setup phase.
More than half of the principals were struggling with the administration
requirements as their schools were smaller, and they didn’t have the
administration capacity in their own schools that could absorb all the work.
A larger part of the group felt that an administration person specifically
allocated to this role would be beneficial, as using their own staff was not
useful if they hadn’t been involved in the meetings. For example if a letter
needed to be written, or a document produced, unless the administration
person was in the meeting, then it was too difficult to explain what they were
required to do. It was easier to do the extra work themselves. One leader
described their Board of Trustees (BOT) having to financially support the
appointment of more administration staff to cater for some of the tasks that she
was doing originally, for example, Novopay. This leader was grateful that her
BOT support her to ensure that she would prioritise her time more effectively.
Another area taking up significant time with successful Kāhui Ako was
the constant requests to help other Kāhui Ako. While the leaders are willing
to support other principals in their learning journey, and these requests
were initially always accepted, leaders have struggled with the time it takes
to fulfil these requests while they are battling with their own workload.
As a consequence, the ‘yes’ responses have reduced.
Requests also came from the Ministry of Education to host workshops at
National Events or to respond to various staff with new initiatives. One leader
described being contacted every day in July by someone different in the MOE
to discuss bundled services, special needs, ECE or other projects. It appeared
that there were people in the MOE being appointed for special projects specific
to Kāhui Ako that needed to be rolled out. There was simply no time to be
involved in these projects.
3. Collaboration
The other main barrier described by leaders was collaboration itself.
Most described the challenge of leading collaboratively as very difficult.
One described trying to “work with high-functioning individuals who have
been in a Tomorrow’s School setting” as demanding. Silos had been
21Growing leadership potential
operational for some time and the view was “what’s in it for me and my
school?” Another used an example about the ‘within school roles’ being just for
a member’s school and that they wouldn’t allow them to be used for the
collaborative goals. The difficulty with these perspectives is that member
schools have no accountability to the leader for what they are actually doing in
their school. One leader’s strategy was to move with the willing and create
such a compelling story that others want to be part of it.
It was also acknowledged by most leaders that it was difficult to navigate the
complexities of collaboration as all other principals in the Kāhui Ako are busy
and typically focussed on their own schools.
4. Timely communication
Leaders felt that communications regarding expectations were not delivered in
time for thoughtful action. One leader expressed exasperation about messages
coming from NZSTA at their conference that were not aligned with information
that they had been given as a leader. Another had information that the MOE
support staff did not. A consistent timely approach to communication is
imperative to success.
Reflections of the Kāhui Ako leadership role
Most of the principals in the Kāhui Ako lead role felt that the role had provided
them with challenge and the opportunity to develop their skills. While they
generally felt that they had had to problem solve with little support, they
acknowledged that the leadership role had been good for their leadership
practice. Most enjoyed the networking aspect, including the opportunity to share
problems and solutions.
However, only one leader felt that they could continue beyond their current
appointment, with the drain on them both personally and professionally being
too much. Leaders also expressed concern about the lack of focus in their own
schools. One leader who bases herself in her own school described being in her
school but absent. She feels unable to get to the staffroom to talk with teachers as
she is constantly in meetings.
Leaders described the lack of systemic practice and support which made the
role too challenging while trying to lead their own school.
Recommendations
All leaders were asked how they would improve the experience for others in the
future. I have divided the recommendations into leadership and learning, and
management and systems. Recommendations were the following:
Leadership and learning
1. Create Kāhui Ako leader positions that are secondments for at least two years
or provide fixed term or permanent contracts so that leaders only have to focus
1Growing leadership potential 22e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
Most of the
principals in the
Kāhui Ako lead role
felt that the role had
provided them with
challenge and the
opportunity to
develop their skills.
on their leadership role with the Kāhui Ako, rather than splitting their time
between their own school and the group of schools.
2. A well-researched programme of leadership development specifically aimed at
the leader of a Kāhui Ako. This might be a programme with a sector developed
leadership matrix (for example, see the Ontario Leadership Matrix).
3. Provision of a coach/mentor for each Kāhui Ako leader. This coach must have
skills in coaching and collaborative leadership and should have experience in
doing so. Their skill base should also include change management. Leaders did
not see the current expert partners fulfilling this role.
4. A programme of learning for leaders that is differentiated to the stage of
development that their Kāhui Ako is at.
5. A digital portal for just-in-time type learning.
6. Access to people with expertise in specific areas that are relevant. The expert
partner role is not enough on its own. One point person is not always best.
Management and systems
1. Review the time allocation given to leaders. This could mean increasing the
time allocation for Kāhui Ako leaders during start up, providing a more
equitable allocation for larger Kāhui Ako and/or a general increase to 0.6.
2. Remove the barriers in the collective agreements, including teaching
component and unit holders. Ensure that senior leaders have the opportunity
to be part of the learning landscape in a Kāhui Ako.
3. Bulk fund the resourcing and funding allocation including the release
component.
4. Funding for administrative support needs to be increased. Leaders should not
have to be booking rooms and organising lunches.
23Growing leadership potential
5. Multiple across-school roles could be held by one person freeing up the need
to have a classroom responsibility.
6. Ensure that all messages going out are consistent. What is promoted at one
educational event should be the same at others.
Conclusion
This project has enabled me to explain the perception some Kāhui Ako leaders
have of the support and learning programmes provided for them in the New
Zealand context. It has also established the perceived barriers to success and the
recommendations made by leaders to further improve the system.
It is interesting that our model has been informed by academics based outside
the New Zealand system. As part of this study, I am inquiring into collaboration
across schools in both Canada and England. I am hopeful that from speaking with
leaders from these countries, I will be able to uncover success stories, advice and
examples of what is working for them.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I feel very fortunate to have been able to take the time to reflect on education, take
some refreshment time and recharge. I would like to thank the following people for
allowing me to take this time:
• MOE/Teach NZ for providing the opportunity to take a sabbatical -
the first in 30 years of education.
• NZEALS, for the Fuji Xerox Dame Herbison Award.
• Golden Sands School Board of Trustees for supporting this application.
• Matt Kennedy (acting principal) for leading the school in my absence,
• Kāhui Ako leaders across New Zealand who were gracious with their time.
I appreciated their honesty and their quest to improve the system.
● Members of our sector who offered advice or leads.
REFERENCESLee, V. E., Smith, J. B. (1996). Collective responsibility for learning and its effects on gains in achievement for
early secondary school students. American Journal of Education, 104(2), 103–147.
Leithwood, K., Seashore Louis, K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How leadership influences student learning. Learning from leadership project, pages 20-29.
Ronfeldt, M., Farmer, S., McQueen, K., & Grissom J. A. (2015). Teacher collaboration in instructional teamsand student achievement. American Education Research Journal, 52(3), 475-514.
Vescio, V., Ross, D., Adams, A. (2008). A review of research on the impact of professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(1), 80–91.
1Growing leadership potential 24e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
There is a growing body of literature highlighting the various challenges both
teachers and students face when students transition between schools, (e.g. from
intermediate to high school), with very little focus given to transitions within school
contexts. The nature of common transition processes frequently positions students
within a deficit model as individuals needing to be fixed, reflects managerial rather
than pedagogical decision-making, (e.g. fluidity, staffing considerations, time
management, maximising time on task and minimising disruption), and can lack
overall pedagogical focus. As a team of educators and researchers, we strongly
believed that Appreciative Inquiry had the potential to be an innovative practice
which can aid in creating coherent learning pathways for a more seamless education
experience.
Transitions are an important part of educational journeys - physically and
culturally (Paki & Peters, 2015). We believe that by changing the way we view
learners and perceive our teaching practice, we can expose, shift and counteract
traditional models of teaching and learning which continue to suffocate innovation,
curiosity, and the courage to try new things. Appreciative Inquiry supports the
notions of dialogue and reflection which we believe can be suitably linked to
transitions within schools (Peters & Roberts, 2015). Like teaching, it is a relational
practice (Gibbs, 2006). It prioritizes students and their success, illuminating to those
supporting the student in their learning, important elements which have the
potential to enhance learner agency. This often occurs through the provision of new
information about the strengths students bring to their learning which teachers,
students and families can use to develop personalized learning plans, better align
25Growing leadership potential
ENHANCING LEARNER AGENCY:ENGAGING APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY TO SUPPORT SCHOOL TRANSITIONSRachel McNae, Natalie Kirk
WHAT IS APPRECIATIVEINQUIRY (AI)? At its heart, AI is about the search for thebest in people, theirorganizations, and thestrengths-filled, opportunity-rich world around them. AI is not so much a shift in themethods and models oforganizational change, but AI isa fundamental shift in theoverall perspective takenthroughout the entire changeprocess to ‘see’ the wholenessof the human system and to‘inquire’ into that system’sstrengths, possibilities, andsuccesses.
teaching practices and approaches to support students, making “a faster and greater
difference to ... students learning outcomes” (Ministry of Education, 2015, p. 4).
A project following this philosophy was located in a rural primary school in the
Waikato district. It investigated children’s understandings of learning to assist
current and future teachers to shift their pedagogical approaches in order to provide
learning experiences which are more meaningful and relevant for learners. Through
using Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2005) a learning community
which could confidently and meaningfully inquire into how students were ‘learning
at their best’ was created. Students and teachers worked collaboratively to generate
a sense of agency about their own identity as learners working within this learning
community. Central to this approach was its collaborative and relational nature,
where students shared the information they discovered about themselves as learners
with teachers and whānau to strengthen support structures, enhance teaching
pedagogy and improve the overall transition experiences within and between
classes.
Emerging findings from this work illustrate that appreciative inquiry has the
potential to foster both student and teacher agency to effect change in learning and
teaching relationships. This inquiry approach supported students to articulate their
own learning needs, and engender a sense of belonging across learning spaces.
This inquiry also provided both teachers and students with new information to
respond to these needs in meaningful, creative and courageous ways.
If you would like to learn more about this project, we will be sharing findings
from this work at the upcoming national NZEALS Conference, April 18-20.
We look forward to seeing you there.
REFERENCESCooperrider, D., & Whitney, D. D. (2005). Appreciative inquiry: A positive revolution in change.
Berrett-Koehler Store.
Gibbs, C. (2006). To be a teacher: Journeys towards authenticity. New Zealand: Pearson.
Ministry of Education. (2015). Teacher-led Innovation Fund Guide. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Accessed online.
Paki, V. & Peters, S. (2015). Exploring whakapapa (genealogy) as a cultural concept to mapping transition journeys. Understanding what is happening and discovering new insights. Waikato Journal of Education,20(2), 49-60.
Peters, S. & Roberts, J. (2015). Transitions from early childhood education to primary school. An interview with Sally Peters, set, 2, 3-8.
1Growing leadership potential 26e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
RACHEL MCNAE (PhD) is theDirector for the Centre of
Educational LeadershipResearch at the University ofWaikato and Director of The
Good Human Project - anorganisation committed to
growing youth potential.
NATALIE KIRK is anexperienced primary school
educator studying for herMasters of EducationalLeadership and and is
deputy principal at MatangiSchool, Hamilton.This
research stems from aTeacher-led Innovation Fund
project supported by theMOE.
The International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN) connects
researchers from around the world with a shared interest in investigating the
intersection of social justice leadership and high-needs schools. The New Zealand
lead researcher, Ross Notman, and collegaues Rachael McNae and Michele
Morrison, have collaborated to gather the voices of leaders in New Zealand early
childhood, primary and secondary high needs settings to produce a volume of work
that will challenge, inspire and motivate readers.
Educational Leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand: issues of context and social justice
is an edited collection of research studies by contributors who have met leaders in
settings from the north to the south of the country, across a wide range of education
contexts and at different stages of their careers. Each contributor brings the voice of
the leader to the forefront, creating a series of authentic, personalised accounts of
leadership dispositions, moral purpose and experiences. Using their own research
framework, each contributor brings to us a perspective on the challenging,
frustrating and sometimes even humorous task of taking a high needs school to
success through social justice leadership.
One of the consistent messages I took from the research studies was the leaders’
uncompromising belief in their students’ abilities, and their entitlement to teachers
with high expectations and responsiblity for student achievement. Often arriving in
schools where the students, teachers and community had all but given up hope,
several of the study leaders had significant barriers to overcome. For Sheralyn Cook
at Taupiri School, the deficit thinking of her students, teachers and community was
having a significant impact until she moved her school to a place of hope and high
expectations, expanding the students’ views of what is possible. Leaders in the case
studies, such as Robyn Curry at Te Papapa School, focused on building teachers’
capacity to identify and support individual learning needs, building their efficacy
and prioritising staffing resources to develop a shared understanding of pedagogy
that works in their setting. Steve Berezowski of Te Wharau School worked to build
respect for his staff, addressing their workload and reigniting their passion for their
27Growing leadership potential
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIPIN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALANDISSUES OF CONTEXT AND SOCIAL JUSTICEBOOK REVIEW BY Juliette Hayes
work, through connecting his staff to their community. Lisa Morresey arrived to
find Mount Maunganui Intermediate School in an “appalling” state; she described
her impression that, “Someone needed to love this place” (p 51). She went about
doing just that to improve student behaviour and academic outcomes. Deficit
thinking was having an impact on Taitoko Kindergarten in Levin too, until a new
general manager set about redirecting resources, building staff capacity and belief,
and building the capacity of the parents to be children’s first teachers and leaders of
their families.
Each chapter describes the context of the high needs school or centre, and the
multiple obstacles to success that the leaders face, including those sometimes
imposed by the very agencies that should be in place to support our most
vulnerable children in education. Principals, such as Robyn Curry, sought solutions
to the barrier of low school attendance by accessing food and clothing for the
children, and removing the school donation, leading one parent to say, “The school
doesn’t give you any excuse for your child not to be here!” (p. 15). Accessing
resources to meet various needs and fill funding gaps required a great deal of
creativity and time from the leaders. Introducing programmes such Positive
Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) and reading development programmes, and
scraping together funding for new technologies and facilities are testament to the
leaders’ tenacity, and belief that their students deserve the same advantages as any
others. Steve Berezowski explained that he was always “looking for ways I feel will
improve our school; that will improve our learning outcomes” (p. 84). Bringing
parents and community on board was a challenge met by many of the case study
leaders. At Te Papapa School parents were brought in as partners in learning and
teaching, with Robyn creating a welcoming environment, running workshops, and
engaging multiple cultures. She also engaged community agencies, including the
police, to utilise all resources available to her. Taitoko Kindergarten took a
leadership role in supporting vulnerable young parents, running parenting
workshops and a flourishing coffee group. At Wairoa College the Māori community
was widely consulted and engaged to find solutions to the multiple issues facing the
town’s young people. As a result, teaching of te reo and tikanga Māori was
resourced, a services academy and rugby academy were introduced, whakairo
(carving) became an NCEA course, and the school structure adopted a whānau-like
model of pastoral care.
Many of the leaders in the case studies shared very personal accounts of the toll
taken on their own wellbeing and that of their families in leading such challenging
schools. Sheralyn Cook described the feelings of loneliness and vulnerability she
experienced, not knowing who to trust in a new community, while also learning to
not take things personally and staying true to her values and beliefs. Lisa Morresey
unashamedly shared her emotional approach to leadership of a high needs school
and the impact that approaching her students and community with love had on
1Growing leadership potential 28e tipu e rea mo naga ra tou ao
JULIETTE HAYES is thePrincipal of Columba College
in Dunedin and the Immediate Past
President of NZEALS.
bringing about change. In another perspective, teacher Penny Deane of Omanu
School taught her students the value of thinking of others who may be “worse off
than ourselves”, by leading her class and community through a major social justice
project that sent aid to a community in Samoa. The vision and collaboration of this
project was a mutually beneficial experience. Leaders in high needs settings
described feeling a calling to such schools, where the challenging environments saw
the odds stacked against the children and the leaders. Steve Berezowski was one
such leader who described himself as not “really a decile 10 person” (p. 73),
choosing to remain in a challenging high needs environment for over 15 years.
Leaders shared their own backgrounds and values that shaped their moral purpose
and social capital, such as the impact of growing up in a small rural community
“where everyone looked out for each other” (p. 114).
Each chapter concludes with a set of reflective questions for the reader to
consider in their own context. I found chapter four had the most confronting
questions, as researcher Christopher Branson demands a reflection on the level of
emotional response that is applied to social justice in leadership practice. Chapter
six also challenges the reader to consider definitions of social justice, with researcher
Michele Morrison asking, “How do you disrupt unjust practices in your educational
setting?” (p 86). Following a study of a high needs East Coast secondary school,
where teachers had much to learn about cultural competencies and to deprivatise
their practice in order to reach their predominantly Māori students, Mere Berryman
and Zac Anderson ask the reader how they consider kaupapa Māori theory in
informing leadership theory and practice.
In their concluding chapter, the editors draw on the threads of key messages
from each of the leaders in the case studies: that social justice leadership is complex,
it takes time and resilience, is demanding on the leader, and is heavily located in
context. Morrison, Notman and McNae leave us with a call to action on social
justice, including for all leaders to sustain their personal wellbeing, to lobby policy
makers to remove “structures that perpetuate inequality” (p. 167), and to expect pre-
service education providers and those preparing for leadership to adopt a social
justice lens in order for a sustainable improvement in education and social outcomes
for all children. Their final provocations are suitable for principal learning groups as
well as teacher reflections on classroom practice and discussions at board level, to
build understanding of social justice issues in classrooms, schools and communities.
This book is supported by the New Zealand Educational Leadership and
Administration Society (NZEALS). Educational Leadership in Aotearoa New Zealand:
issues of context and social justice brings the Aotearoa New Zealand perspective to the
ISLDN, and adds to an international movement of discussion and debate on meeting
the needs of our most vulnerable children. Through its collaborative content and its
place in the ISLDN, this book remains true to its opening whakatauki: Ehara taku
toa, I te toa takitahi engari he toa takatini - My strength comes not from myself alone
but from the strength of the group.
29Growing leadership potential
POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR
LEARNING initiatives helpparents, wh nau, teachers,early childhood centres, andschools address problembehaviour, improve children’swell-being, and increaseeducational achievement.By strengthening relationshipsand creating more positivehome and schoolenvironments we removebarriers to engagement andimprove students’ chances toachieve at school and beyond.PB4L is a long-term, systemicapproach involving teninitiatives. These includewhole-school changeinitiatives, targeted groupprogrammes, and individualstudent support services. Fiveof the initiatives are indevelopment.
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31Growing leadership potential
I would like to encourage you to provide an article for Leading Lights, which
might outline new policies and programmes, legislation, trends, developments,
research or education debates in your own locality. Your topic should be relevant,
and of professional interest, to educational leaders in New Zealand. I am seeking
short articles (500-1,500 words) and photos for forthcoming issues of the magazine.
Your own topic, based on your own area of interest/expertise (and keeping in
mind current issues and developments in educational leadership) is most
welcome. We are also seeking papers of emerging findings from educational
leadership research being carried out by post-graduate students. If you are
seeking a publication opportunity for your work this is a great place to begin.
Longer papers are published on the NZEALS website under a collection of
Members’ Publications.
Your target audience is cross-sector leaders throughout New Zealand.
A brief outline of the context of your education setting would be useful for
readers. Any recommendations you might make to readers, based on your
experience, knowledge or research, would be most appreciated.
Prospective writers who wish to discuss a possible topic before commencing
writing, may email me. Otherwise, completed articles can be emailed directly
to me at [email protected] as attached Word files or as plain
email messages and their receipt will be confirmed by return email. Please also
include a one-paragraph ‘about the author’ and attach a head and shoulders
photo of yourself as a separate file (high resolution jpeg preferred).
SUBMISSION DEADLINES: 2018: 2 MAY; 2 AUGUST; 2 NOVEMBER
Annette Sheehy
Editorial Committee, Leading Lights
LEADING LIGHTS: ARTICLESUBMISSION DEADLINESNEXT ISSUE DEADLINE 2 MAY 2018
Leading Lights Editorial Committee
Annette SheehyAnn BriggsJuliette HayesVicki Hill
Leading Lights Editorial MANAGERS
SALTMINE DESIGNHugh & Fi [email protected]
nzeals.org.nzNew Zealand Educational Administration and Leadership Society
NZEALS
32Growing leadership potential
NAME POSITION SECTOR EMAIL
ANNE MALCOLM National President Primary [email protected]
ANNETTE SHEEHY National Vice-President ECE [email protected]
JULIETTE HAYES Immediate Past President Area [email protected]
DOUG MILNE National Treasurer Consultant [email protected]
ANN BRIGGS National Secretary Tertiary [email protected]
MAGGIE OGRAM Auckland Branch President Educational Coach [email protected]
MELANIE TAYLOR Bay of Plenty Branch President Primary [email protected]
CHRISTINE HARRIS Canterbury Branch President Primary [email protected]
PIP WELLS Nelson Branch President Primary [email protected]
MURRAY FLETCHER Otago Branch co-President Educational Coach [email protected]
SYLVIA ROBERTSON Otago Branch co-President Tertiary [email protected]
PAUL JOHNSON Taranaki Branch President Primary [email protected]
RACHEL MCNAE Waikato Branch President Tertiary [email protected]
CED SIMPSON Wellington Branch President ECE/Primary /Secondary [email protected]
VICKI HILL Member at Large ECE [email protected]
JEREMY KEDIAN Member at Large Consultant [email protected]
MICHELE MORRISON Member at Large Tertiary [email protected]
ROSS NOTMAN Member at Large Tertiary [email protected]
The NZEALS Council is elected by the membership at the biennial NZEALS conference, or co-opted to acertain portfolio, and reflects the cross-sector nature of the society. Council members hold key portfoliosfor the services of NZEALS, and meet bi-monthly by tele-conference to progress strategic work.Questions or ideas may be directed to any Council members using the contact details below.
NZEALS COUNCIL DIRECTORY